30 Extraordinary Albums That Turn 30 This Year

As 2014 turned into 2015, it started to dawn on us here at Worship Metal Manor that some truly extraordinary albums are due to turn 30 this year and what better way to say Happy F*ckin’ Birthday, than drawing up a list of the 30 greatest albums that are soon to hit that significant milestone.

As it turned out, 1985 was a cracker of a year for Hard Rock and Heavy Metal; Thrash was growing stronger by the second, the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was still delivering the goods and even the Mainstream was throwing up a few corkers along the way.

This one is just a bit of fun and a merry jaunt down memory lane but if we’ve glossed over your favourite, jot it down in the comments below and we’ll get a dialogue going.

I love Heavy Metal. Always have. Always will. As editor of Worship Metal - a site dedicated to being as positive about Metal and its myriad of sub-genres as possible - my aim is to 'worship' Metal through honest reviews, current news and a wide variety of features; offering the same exposure to underground bands as we do to mainstream/well known acts. Our mantra; the bands are partners and we exist to serve the bands \m/

You missed a few great ones such as Bathory – Return of the Darkness, C.O.C. – Animosity, D.R.I. – Dealing with It, Venom – Possessed(I really like it), and the last two Black Flag albums were both released in 1985 In My Head and Loose Nut. I think it’s fair to include C.O.C., D.R.I. and Black Flag if you include S.O.D.

Gonna agree with another’s suggestion of “Power of the Night” by Savatage. Also, I feel Live After Death deserves an honorable mention for being one of the best and most energetic live albums in the history of music!

Earthshaker – Midnight Flight: A classic from the legendary and influential Japanese band, with their characteristic combination of melody, energy, and technical precision. (To a certain degree, Earthshaker could be considered the more melodic, more “Japanese” Loudness.)
Alcatrazz – Disturbing the Peace: Not “No Parole From Rock and Roll,” but full of great songs with great guitar work from Steve Vai. Plus, you’ve got the vocals of Graham Bonnet in his prime.
Electric Sun – Beyond the Astral Skies: If you can get past the hippie stuff and Uli Jon’s vocals (an acquired taste, to say the least), you’ll find a masterpiece here. I shows very clearly why Yngwie Malmsteen called Uli Jon Roth the world’s greatest guitarist.
Lizzy Borden – Love You To Pieces: It’s a classic. All the elements come together to make something close to the ideal balanced metal album. It’s unfortunately overlooked, as is Lizzy Borden the band itself.
Gary Moore – Run for Cover: Gary Moore’s amazing guitar work, memorable melodies, and guest vocals by legends Phil Lynott and Glenn Hughes. That description alone should be enough to make a rocker/metalhead buy the album immediately.
Rough Cutt – Rough Cutt: Sadly and surprisingly overlooked and short-lived, but they released two albums that were great metal albums back then, and they still hold their own today. Raw, tough, heavy, and melodic, with just the right amount of the blues. As an added bonus, Mr. and Mrs. Dio co-wrote a couple of the songs.
Sinner – Touch of Sin: Mat Sinner was confident enough in the compositions that he re-recorded about half of them 3 decades later for “Touch of Sin 2.” A great early example of the more melodic side of Sinner.
UFO – Misdemeanor: More of a Phil Mogg solo album than a UFO album (although, in a very real sense, Phil Mogg IS UFO), but Atomik Tommy M’s guitar work, Phil’s always great delivery, and engaging melodies/compositions make this a great album. There was enough of a difference from both the Schenker era and the Chapman era that it would probably have gotten more attention and been more highly appreciated if it hadn’t been released as a UFO album. Taken as it is for what it is, it’s an album of quality songs and performances, whether it says “UFO” on the cover or not.
Waysted – The Good The Bad The Waysted: Everything that makes Pete Way so great is in this album. Heavy, raw, melodic, with attitude and a wry grin. Fin Muir’s raspy vocals rip your face off your head and make you grateful for the act. Excessive volatility in the band and a revolving door of members unfortunately made consistent activities impossible. It’s one of those albums that has the power to make everything all better when you’ve had a bad day, for whatever reason.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen – Marching Out: Yngwie, Jeff Scott Soto, Jens Johansson, Anders Johansson, and the late Marcel Jacob. Hard to get a more talented lineup than that. “I Am a Viking” and “I’ll See The Light Tonight” have been semi-permanent parts of Yngwie’s set list since the album was released, as well as frequently being performed at Jeff Scott Soto’s live shows. Say what you will about Yngwie, in 1985 he was doing what nobody else was doing (or could do), and “Marching Out” was an integral part of setting the stage for neo-classical and power metal (not to mention shredders like Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Paul Gilbert, and thousands more) in the decades to come.

Hirax – Raging Violence, great fast thrash with unique vocals.
Sepultura – Bestial Devastation, crude beginnings, but not much as brutal as this in 1985.
Amebix – Arise!, not metal but heavy as hell and hugely influential.
Carnivore – Carnivore, again not metal but deserves a mention.
Iron Maiden – Live After Death, surely the greatest live album of all time.

Pretty solid list, but I agree that I would definitely add Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force “Marching Out” album on there. I LOVE that album.
And “Live After Death” is to me, the quintessential Iron Maiden album.
I’d also add the fantastic “Mystery Of Illusion” by Chastain and “Soldiers Of The Night” by Vicious Rumors.
And maybe Savatage, Armored Saint, Agent Steel…